Cat and Dog Wound Treatment

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When wounded, your pet is more susceptible to infection and should receive immediate treatment. As in any first aid situation, first determine that the scene is safe. Once you feel comfortable, you should approach and muzzle your pet: they're potentially in a lot of pain, and you don't want to deal with any accidental or purposeful biting. Next, check the severity of the bleeding. If the bleeding is venous or arterial, take care of that and then take your pet to a veterinarian, skipping wound care entirely. If the bleeding is manageable, however, and the wound is small enough that you're comfortable treating it, first apply a liberal amount of sterile lubricant to the wound. Clip hair in a wide area around the wound, making sure the clipper is laid flat to the skin. Wipe area with gauze soaked in isopropyl alcohol. Wipe the wound, removing any debris. If on the back or flank, don't worry about a bandage. If on a limb, you'll want to dress the wound. Place some gauze squares on the wound, and then wrap a roll bandage around both the joint above and below the wound. With each layer, cover half of the previous layer. Now that you've finished your snug initial wrap, apply the self-cohesive bandage in the same manner, taking care to not make it too tight. Finally, tag the top and bottom of the bandage with a strip of adhesive tape. Checking the toes is a good way to determine whether or not the bandage is too tight.